The Best Scratch And Sniff Stickers

Buying Guide

Focus can be tough for children, whether it’s in the classroom or at home. With so many distractions around them, children may find it difficult to concentrate on the task at hand. For years, parents and teachers have used external rewards to motivate children to blast through those distractions and complete tasks.

The key to success with rewards is to outline the reward before a task begins. Whether it’s potty training, completing chores or performing the best in a classroom environment, rewards work well when children know what they can earn. Regularly issuing rewards for successful completion will help, especially if multiple children are present and they see others being rewarded.

The question then becomes what type of reward to issue. For years, parents and teachers have used stickers as a fun way to reward kids. They’re affordable and lack the sugar and empty calories that come from some food-based rewards. Best of all, you can typically buy them in large quantities that you can then save for use over weeks, months and even years or spread between multiple children.

Scratch-and-sniff stickers take the format to another level. Scratch-and-sniff stickers use microcapsules to hold scented oils, with the microcapsules protecting the scent. When you rub away the surface of a scratch-and-sniff sticker, you’re breaking the outer layer of the bubble holding that oil, releasing the scent.

With scratch-and-sniff stickers, children enjoy a reward that engages two of the senses. They can not only enjoy looking at the sticker, but they can have fun scratching the surface and smelling what releases. Often, these stickers come in a set that packs in multiple scents, so each time the reward is issued, a mystery’s unlocked.

Scratch-and-sniff stickers can also become collectibles. Children who are issued stickers as rewards can keep them to show off as trophies. In families with multiple kids or in classrooms, children might even find themselves competing to see who can build the biggest collection.

• Stickers can be used as a reward, but they can also simply be a fun collectible for your children. The planned use of your stickers will drive the type you buy, so it’s important to determine that need before you start shopping.
• If your kids are into a specific pop culture item, you can likely find stickers to match. Finding them in a scratch-and-sniff variety might be a challenge, though, so you may have to sacrifice that feature.
• Fruity scents are popular in scratch-and-sniff stickers, but you can find other scents, as well. There are even bold scents like pickle to liven things up. Once your little one gets started on scratch-and-sniff stickers, you may find you’re searching for something fun and unique to add to the collection.
• For rewards, look for stickers that have motivational words on them. You may find that some sticker sets combine these motivational words with images so that you can use them for a variety of purposes.
• Scratch-and-sniff stickers can be great for handing out at parties. Kids can mix and match the ones they get and walk away with a bag full of fun stickers.
• Not all scratch-and-sniff stickers are equal. You’ll find some that hold their scent better than others. This comes from the quality of the oils and the paper, as well as the manufacturing process.
• Look at the variety of scents you’re getting with your stickers. Chances are, your little one won’t want pages and pages of stickers with identical scents. Having a set that changes things up can extend the fun.
• If you’re buying stickers for younger children, keep in mind that unsupervised, those children might attach stickers to a variety of surfaces, including walls, floors and furniture. You might want to supervise play in those younger years.
• Check the recommended age range for any stickers you buy. Some might limit use to older children for safety reasons.